White people have taken to Twitter to expose US police prejudice, confessing they have got away with crimes that African Americans probably would not.

Posting using the hashtag #WhitePeopleCriming, some people are recounting serious crimes they have committed such as grand theft auto, others are referring to smaller driving violations, and some are describing incidents in which black friends were disproportionately scrutinised or punished.

Garner was caught illegally selling cigarettes, 18-year-old Brown had robbed $50 cigarellos from a shop, and Rice had been playing with a pellet gun — all crimes (or, in Rice's case, not a crime) that white people would not likely be killed over, the Twittersphere has argued.